5 questions on DeShone Kizer with Slap the Sign
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns are hoping DeShone Kizer can be the answer at quarterback, even if it takes some time. To learn more about the rookie, we turned to Slap the Sign for some answers.
The Cleveland Browns have been searching for a quarterback for more than two decades.
The franchise has tried just about everything imaginable to fix the problem, from high draft picks (four quarterbacks in the first round since 1999) to reclamation projects and just about every “bridge quarterback” imaginable.
The Browns are trying a different approach this year as they resisted the urge to trade valuable assets for a mythical “franchise quarterback,” ignored the dreck available in free agency and waited patiently in the 2017 NFL Draft before they made their move.
That move, of course, came late in the second round with the selection of Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
Related: The case for starting DeShone Kizer in 2017
Kizer has the physical tools to be a successful quarterback, but for a variety of reasons was never able to translate that into big success in college. Among some of the weaknesses listed in Kizer’s draft profile at NFL.com are that he locks in on his first read, has poor mechanics, doesn’t anticipate throws, is not comfortable in the pocket and, best of all, has “dreadful lapses in judgement.”
But he also threw for 47 touchdowns and more than 5,800 yards, while completing almost 61 percent of his passes in two seasons with the Fighting Irish.
Kizer has quickly undergone the instant analysis that all rookie quarterbacks go through in Cleveland, with some fans wanting him to start Week 1 to “see what the team has,” while others see Kizer’s warts and want to give him some time to grow into the position.
To get a better understanding of Cleveland’s latest hope at quarterback, we turned to Noah Strackbein at Slap the Sign for a virtual Q&A on the rookie quarterback.
Q: DeShone Kizer is carrying a lot of criticism for how the 2016 season played out at Notre Dame. How much of that was on him vs. the coaching staff and the talent surrounding him?
Noah: I don’t believe much of any of the blame should have been put on him. DeShone Kizer led a team that was underdeveloped, had a poor coaching staff and absolutely no defense. Everything that happened for Notre Dame in 2016 was because of Kizer’s play. He’s the quarterback, so of course people are going to point fingers at him, but by no means was the 4-8 season his fault.
Related: Browns do not need to start DeShone Kizer in Week 1
Watching him each week, you saw that this team kind of gave up halfway through the season, while Kizer was out there giving it everything he had. In my opinion, how the team and coaching staff responded to a poor start last year was a big reason he decided to declare for the draft.
Q: The evolution of the college game has made it difficult to evaluate quarterbacks. How “pro ready” is Kizer’s game and what does he need to work on the most?
Noah: Kizer isn’t ready to play this season. He has all the physical attributes you want in an NFL quarterback, but his decision making still isn’t where it needs to be. He needs to learn the playbook and work with the coaching staff for a season before he’s ready to see the field and lead Cleveland. Compared to other quarterback in this draft, he’s probably the most pro ready in terms of arm strength, release and footwork, but until he fixes his reaction under pressure he’s not someone you want starting.
Q: Cleveland is not a team or town that is easy on its quarterbacks. If/when things start to go south, does Kizer have what it takes to hold up to the pressure? Can he deal with not playing at all in 2017 if it comes to that?
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Noah: When it comes to not playing in 2017, he’s more than Ok with it. During the draft process he admitted he’s a project and may need time to develop, but will work as hard as he needs to in order to get on the field as soon as possible. When Cleveland starts to lose and things start to get tough, Kizer is 100 percent the man you want behind center.
Last season whenever Notre Dame started to fall apart, you would see Kizer making a play entirely by himself. He’s the type of quarterback who wants to win until the final whistle — whether his team is 16-0 or 0-16.
Related: DeShone Kizer film breakdown
Q: Why should Browns fans be excited that the team selected Kizer rather than make a move for Mitchell Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes or Deshaun Watson?
Noah: Like the Browns, Kizer still needs time to come together. Trubisky and Watson were players who would be expected to come into the team and start immediately. That’s a lot of pressure for a rookie quarterback who isn’t totally ready to see the field. So, Kizer gets the room to grow and is OK with waiting it out until he and Cleveland are ready to turn this team around.
Q: Give us something that Browns fans may not know about Kizer but that they will love?
Noah: DeShone is a really genuine and smart guy. He isn’t out here chasing the money or crying about losing. Every time he steps on the field he’s doing something he loves and he’ll always put 100 percent of his effort out there.
Next: 5 questions on Myles Garrett
Off the field, he’s never afraid to sign autographs or take pictures. During his time at Notre Dame, he cared about the fans and his teammates just as much as he cared about himself.